Clothes hanger and brushing rack



May 3, 1938. R. 1.. MORGAN- CLOTHES HANGER AND BRUSHING RACK Filed May 6, 1936 EVE-$722371 Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES ATT FIE.

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a clothes hanger adapted for attachment to the wall of a room or closet, or to a closet door, and adapted to be supported in a position for holding a garment away from the wall for brushing.

According to the invention, a clothes hanger is hinged to the supporting wall or door in a position to hang vertically and closely adjacent to the supporting wall. When the hanger is to be used as a brushing rack the hanger is supported in a substantially horizontal position, and the garment which is then hung over the outer portion of the hanger is spaced far enough away from the supporting wall to provide for brushing the garment on all sides. The objects and further advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:- v

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the invention attached to a closet door and in a position for use as a brushing rack.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hanger.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the hanger of Fig. 3.

Like reference characters refer, to like parts inthe different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the device of the invention is attached to a closet door I which may obviously be the wall of a closet or room rather than a door, the latter being used merely as one example of a support for the device. The device is attached by hinges 2, to the door and permits swinging movement of the device, from a vertical position adjacent to the wall into the horizontal position shown, as will be apparent.

The device comprises, as best shown in Fig. 3, a clothes hanger 3 with a horizontal portion 4, having a straight edge to which the hinges 2 are secured. A triangular portion 5 projects ,centrally from the portion 4, the apex of the triangular portion being connected to the horizontal portion by the narrow neck portion 6. The sloping side edges. 1 of the triangular portion 5 engage the shoulders of a garment hung thereon with the portion 6 extending through the neck of the garment. For rigidity, the upper and lower surfaces of the hanger 3, which is preferably of wood, are recessed, as at 8, Fig. 5, to receive reinforcing strips 9 which may be formed of ply wood.

The lower ends of the triangular portion 5 of the hanger are recessed as at H] to receive the inbent tips I! at the ends of a horizontal bar l2 wlL'ch has the opposite ends thereof bent upward- 1y, with the tips I I thereof extending inwardly in parallel relation to the bar If and in alinement with each other to form pivot pins for the bar. 5 The latter is thus usable as a trouser or skirt hanger and, being pivoted to the lower part 5 of the coat hanger, will always hang vertically therefrom as shown.

With the hinges 2 secured to the upper edge of 10 the portion l of the hanger 3, the latter normally depends in close vertical relation to the support and adjacent thereto so that the device takes up only a very small amount of closet or room space. When the device is to be used as a brushing rack, 15 however, the hanger 3 is swung outwardly into the horizontal position of Figs. 1 and 2 where it is held by a rod l3, one end of which engages in a recess I4 provided in the underside of the hanger. The recess is preferably reinforced by a metallic cup-shaped device !5 fitted in the recess, as best shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of the rod I 3 is in the form of an eye it engaging with a screw eye ll projecting into the door or other sur face below the hanger in a position which will not interfere with the vertical position of the hanger. When the device is used for a brushing rack the garment is placed on the rack in a reversed position. That is to say, the back of the garment extends along the base l8 of the hanger, the latter being in the position shown, and the front of the garment extends over and depends from the sloping edges 1.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the device may be used as a coat hanger and hang in parallel and close relation to the supporting wall or door to which the device is attached, thereby occupying only a small amount of room. When the device is to be used as a brushing rack, the portion of the device which supports the garment is sufficiently spaced from the door to make possible the brushing of the garment on all sides. It will be apparent that a plurality of hooks I9 may be provided in the horizontal portion 4 of the hanger for hanging small garments, such as hats, 45 on the outside of the hanger when the latter is in the vertical position.

I claim:-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions and means above said portions for pivotally supporting the hanger on a vertical surface, for swinging movement from a horizontal position into a vertical position depending from said means, said hanger in the ver- 55 tical position being adapted to support a coat on the shoulder engaging portions of a supporting member engageable at one end with the vertical surface and at the other end with the hanger to support the latter in a horizontal position with the shoulder portions in spaced relation to the vertical surface, the connection between one end of the supporting member and the structure engaged thereby being releasable to permit the hanger to swing downwardly from the horizontal position into a substantially vertical position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions and means above said portions for pivotally supporting the hanger on a vertical surface for swinging movement from a horizontal position into a vertical position depending from said means, said hanger in the vertical position being adapted to support a coat on the shoulder engaging portions, of a supporting member engageable at one end with the vertical surface and at the other end with the hanger to support the latter in a horizontal position with the shoulder portions in spaced relation to the vertical surface, said supporting member having means on the end engageable with the vertical surface for providing a pivotal connection therebetween and the connection between said supporting member and the hanger beingreleasable to permit the hanger to swing downwardly into a substantially vertical position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions and means above said portions for pivotally supporting the hanger on a vertical surface for swinging movement from a horizontal position into a vertical position de pending from said means, said hanger in the vertical position being adapted to support a coat on the shoulder engaging portions, of a rod engageable at one end with the vertical surface and at the other end with the hanger to support the latter in a horizontal position with the shoulder portions in spaced relation to the vertical surface, said rod having a screw eye on the end engageable with the vertical surface for providing a pivotal connection therebetween and the connection between said rod and the hanger being releasable.

4. In a device of the class described, the com bination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions and means above said portions for pivotally supporting the hanger on a vertical surface for swinging movement from a horizontal position into a vertical position depending from said means, said hanger in the vertical position being adapted to support a coat on the shoulder engaging portions, of a rod having means at one end for providing a pivotal connection between the rod and the vertical surface at a point below and spaced from the pivotal support of the hanger, the rod being of a length to engage the hanger at a point spaced from the pivotal support for holding the hanger in a horizontal position, said hanger having a recess in the underside thereof for engagement with the end of the rod whereby the latter is releasably held in engagement with the hanger.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions and means above said. portions for pivotally supporting the hanger on a vertical surface for swinging movement from a horizontal position into a vertical position depending from said means, said hanger in the vertical position, being adapted to support a coat on the shoulder engaging portions, of a rod having means at one end for providing a pivotal connection between the rod and the vertical surface at a point below and spaced from the pivotal support of the hanger, the rod being of a length to engage the hanger at a point spaced from the pivotal support for holding the hanger in a horizontal position, the connection between the hanger and rod being releasable to allow the hanger to swing downwardly into a, substantially vertical position, in which position the shoulder engaging portions are adapted to support a garment.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions, and means above said portions for pivotally supporting said hanger on a vertical surface, with the hanger movable from a vertical position adjacent to the surface and depending from said means in a position for supporting a garment into a horizontal position substantially at right angles to the vertical surface, and a bar having integral pivots spaced from the axis of the bar and engaging with the lowermost portions of the hanger when the latter is in vertical position, said pivots providing for a swinging movement of the bar relative to the hanger about an axis substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the hanger, whereby the bar always hangs below thev hanger, of means engageable with the hanger and vertical surface for holding the hanger in substantially horizontal position.

7. In a, device of the class described, the combination with a clothes hanger provided with shoulder engaging portions, and means above said portions for pivotally supporting said hanger on a vertical surface, with the hanger movable from a vertical position adjacent to the surface and depending from said means, in which position the hanger is adapted to support a garment, into a horizontal position substantially at right angles to the vertical surface, and a horizontal bar having upwardly and inwardly extending ends spaced from the axis of the bar and engageable with the hanger at points adjacent to the lowermost portions of the hanger, said bar being supported for swinging movement relative to the hanger about an axis substantially parallel to the pivotal axis of the hanger whereby said bar is always below the hanger, of means engageable with the hanger and vertical surface without interfering with the horizontal bar, for holding the hanger releasably in horizontal position.

RALPH L. MORGAN. 

